Children's home run by Champion Children Limited

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2595340 1

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Champion Children (Fig Tree) Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to four children. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that it provides care for children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered in July 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place due to concerns about the quality of the independent visitor’s report. There were also concerns arising from the provider’s safeguarding notifications made to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been significantly affected by COVID-19 (coronavirus). However, children have experienced consistency in those caring for them as staff sickness and absence was covered within the team. One social worker praised the staff’s attempts to maintain the service despite the challenges of the pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

The home has experienced an unsettled period. Several incidents have taken place in which children’s behaviour challenged adults. These included assaults on staff, with the police called to the home to assist staff with these events. However, the home has been calmer recently.

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This monitoring visit

The pandemic has restricted the home’s plans for further staff training, particularly in behaviour management. Sometimes only limited information about children placed in an emergency has been available and staff have struggled to manage children’s emerging needs. Unfortunately, a few incidents resulted in some children’s placements being ended, so children experienced disruption. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2595340 2 Some professionals felt that staff communication was not always effective. For example, one social worker felt that staff should have consulted them about the impact that a new admission may have had on an existing resident. The management team has communicated with Ofsted about serious events, as required. However, the management team considered that one incident did not warrant notification, when it did.

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This monitoring visit

An independent visitor completes monthly monitoring visits to the home as required. However, their reports do not always contain sufficient detail or analysis to help the home to develop.

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2595340 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

 review the effectiveness of staff training in understanding when to restrain a child and in recording use of restraint  ensure that staff training helps them de-escalate situations effectively  make sure that staff are equipped to manage the behavioural needs of children who are admitted  ensure a systemic response to learning from incidents  ensure the quality and impact of behaviour support plans/risk assessments. 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2595340 4 to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, make sure that there is sufficient detail and analysis in order to improve the quality and consistency of reports.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a key role in seeking to develop the home’s effective working relationships with each child’s placing authority and with other relevant persons which may include services, individuals (including parents), agencies, organisations and establishments that work with children in the local community, e.g. police, schools, health and youth offending teams (regulation 5 – engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). These working relationships will also be key to success in delivering the care planning standard (regulation 14). Specifically, with reference to agreeing levels of communication and information-sharing with local authorities about matters such as incidents and potential new admissions. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered person should ensure that the following regulation is complied

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Recommendations

with: regulation 40(4) requires the registered person to notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)–(d) occurs. With specific reference to notifying Ofsted regarding an incident when a child called police to the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10) Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2595340 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its registration.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Champion Children (Fig Tree) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Moran House Unit 7–8, 449–451 High Road, London NW10 2JJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew Wakeling

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Inspector

Jacqueline Graves, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2595340 6 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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